A Promise Made
by annonymouse
Summary: Slightly AU, not really though... What if Shigure had the same thing done to him as Hatori? But what if, instead of the girl moving away, she stayed close to him? What if she's struggling with repressed memories? What if she remembered?
1. Prolouge

****

Title: Promises  
**Author:** annonymouse  
**Disclaimer:** I disclaim! If I owned this then there would be a lot of… uh.. Never mind. Same goes to all chapter after this!  
**Summary:** Slightly AU. What if Shigure had the same thing done to him as Hatori? But what if, instead of the girl moving away, she stayed close to him? What if she's struggling with repressed memories? What if she finally remembered?  
**Author's Notes:** This is a very short prolouge. The next chapter will be much much longer. I hope you enjoy this! 

*

"I know what you're going to do Hatori. Just… Please let me say goodbye." The girl looked up to him, her eyes were wet with unshed tears as she pleaded, both vocally and silently. 

Hatori hesitated before nodding. He called out her lovers name, he knew the other man was watching silently behind a screen.

As soon as the figure revealed himself, she launched herself at him, clutching the front of his shirt tightly. Her tears finally poured down freely.

"Please, please forgive me." she begged him, Shigure used one hand to stroke her hair softly before finally answering,

"What is there to forgive? If anything, it's me that should be apologising."

"I'm sorry for leaving you. I'm sorry for leaving you when I promised I would never…"

"It's okay, it's okay. It's not like you wanted to leave me." He fought his grieve. He would not show anything but his smile in her last moments. 

"I'm so sorry." She looked up at him and reached her arms to grasp the sides of his head softly. She cupped his ears and pulled him down for their last kiss.

Tenderly he obliged her, ignoring his cousin's steady gaze he placed a butterfly kiss on her mouth, putting as much feeling as he could behind one chaste kiss. She looked at him and smiled quickly wiping away her tears, determined to make his last memory of her to be a smiling one.

"I'll remember. Somehow I will." she promised him.

"Somehow… I believe that." he replied, grinning at her stubbornness.

"And when I do, I'll be back."

"Of course."

"Then promise me, promise that you'll wait for me? Even if it takes me years?" she knew she was being selfish, making him promise to rely his happiness on her but she wanted his reassurance that her efforts will not be in vain.

"I will. Even when you find someone else. I will still wait." 

She offered her little finger at him and he entwined it with his. A childish thing to do but so entirely like her that he could not help but obey her small request. With a determined look at her eyes she turned back to Hatori and sat down in front of him.

"I wont forget." she proudly promised, Hatori nodded once. Shigure walked away, hearing a small thud as he reached the door. He hesitated, wanting to turn around and gather her up in his arms.

"She wont remember." Hatori whispered, somehow his soft voice had carried itself to Shigure's ears.

"She will." he retorted defiantly.

*

Sohma Shigure woke up in cold sweat into a sitting position. His eyes wildly searched the room, panting slightly from the dream he woke up from. Finally relaxing, he realised he was at home, he reached one of his hands to his forehead, pushing the damp hair out of his face. He smiled wryly, hair still in his hand he began to chuckle lightly.

__

A dream, a stupid stupid_ dream. Nothing important._ He let his body fall back down, the smile left his face as he recalled the dream. Her smile, her warmth… it seemed so real. When was he going to forget… her. He growled. He wasn't going to say he name. He's avoided it all these years, he wont start saying it now.

A glance outside told him it was well past noon. He got up lazily and stretched. A new day was starting already… Well a bit past a new day but it was how he liked it.

His stomach growled as soon as he stood up. He smiled to himself and went downstairs, scratching his scalp. He hoped Tohru-kun had left him something to eat.

"I knew dogs were lazy, but honestly Shigure…" a voice interrupted his voyage to the kitchen.

"Ha-san! I knew it! You missed me didn't you?" he bounded to Hatori cheerfully and plopped himself down to sit next to him.

"Cut it out Shigure. No one else is here." Hatori sipped some tea from his cup and put down the newspaper he was reading to face his friend.

"You're no fun, you know that right?" Shigure pouted playfully as he filled his own cup of tea. "Aahh… That's nice. You always did make the best tea Ha-san." He smiled at the expressionless man.

"Sensei!!!" A woman's voice was heard out the house, she seemed a little desperate.

"You're evil." Hatori blandly told his friend as Shigure greeted the woman with a smile.

"Ah Mii-chan! Come in, come in." he gestured for her to come inside.

"Sensei, have you finished the…"

"You haven't met my dearest cousin have you? Sohma Hatori, meet Mii-chan. Why don't you two have a nice chat while I have a shower." Shigure abruptly disappeared.

"You realise he introduces us everytime we meet." Hatori smiled at the nervous woman as she sat down.

"Oh yes Hatori-san, I believe I have been introduced to you at least seventy times in the last three years." she replied tiredly.

The two spent the time in companionable silence, occasionally breaking the silence with comment on the weather and on Shigure's slowness.

"That was nice." The man they had been talking about moments before commented as he left a trail of steam behind him.

"Sensei! Have you…" Mii-chan jumped up only to be pushed gently back down by Shigure.

"Wont lunch be nice? Lets see what Tohru-kun has prepared eh?" he moved to stand when Hatori's voice interrupted him. 

"Shigure give her the damn thing. Look at her. She's tired." Hatori's eyes pierced Shigure's, the latter nodded in defeat as he observed his droopy eyed editor.

"You should rest more Mii-chan!" he playfully chided her, giving her a thick brown envelope.

"Sensei! Thank you Hatori-san! Thank you!" A river of tears ran down her face. Hatori nodded in recognition.

"I don't get a thank you???" Shigure asked

"As always, thank you Sensei!" she smiled brilliantly at him. Excusing herself, she got out of the house and skipped away.

The dog man's eyes followed the petite figure who seemed to have found a new spring in her steps. Absently he smiled at the disappearing figure.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you always deliberately stall giving her your work Shigure."

"Is that a question Hatori? Or is it a veiled threat?" a dangerous glint came to his normally friendly eyes.

"Take it as you please." came the calm reply.

"Drink your tea Hatori." It was an order. Shigure kept a tight rein on his temper. Today was not a day to fight with his best friend.

"Hey. Akito told me to ask you about the progress of…"

"Tell Akito-san not to worry. It will happen." Shigure interrupted with conviction, knowing what his friend was about to say. And endless pause hung in the air between the two. Hatori sipped his tea once more and began reading the newspaper again.

Hatori glanced at his friend occasionally. He seemed to be lost in his own world. He didn't blame him. Hatori knew what he was thinking of, and he knew how his friend felt.

"You're in a weird mood today. You dreamt about her again didn't you?" He saw his friend flinch at the words. Minutes went by before the quiet reply came.

"She will remember. She promised."

"What makes you think she'll be any different to her?"

"Her?"

"Kana."

"Because Kana was never as pig headed as she was."

"If she does remember, you know he'll kick up a fuss again, don't you?"

"I thought you were sure about your abilities." Bitterly he turned to his friend 

"I am."

"Then there's nothing to worry about is there?"

"There is if you are still hoping. Was it not you that told me to move on?"

"Only after she got married." This reply seemed to have set something off in Hatori, he stood up abruptly and moved towards the still standing figure.

"Shigure…" he began, slightly fuming.

"Let's not fight Hatori. You know yourself it is almost impossible for Mii-chan to remember."

TBC…

Whoaa!!! First chapter! Hope you liked it. Oh and if you have time, read my other Furuba fic!


	2. Accidents

Author's notes at the end… Sorry for the long wait, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

****

…Chapter Two…

The car was speeding around the corner, the driver was in a hurry. His wife was about to give birth at a hospital nearby.

Unbeknownst to him, a distraught woman was about to cross the fairly empty street. Her mind was on a deadline which had to be met soon and a fussy writer who liked to make her life hell. She moved to cross the street.

The young man was the only one who saw what was about to happen. You could say it was animal instinct. He shouted a warning but she was too far away to hear it. Summoning all his strength he cried out once more.

The woman finally noticed him and jumped back in time. But as Lady Fate had it, she tripped on the sidewalk and fell back hard. Her head banged on the concrete. Panicked people immediately whipped out their cell phones.

The young man watched the happenings, only raising his eyebrows once. A very expressive thing for him to do. He scratched his bi-coloured hair thoughtfully, he was positive the woman was Mii-chan.

*

Shigure smiled maliciously. He had a series of 'events' planned today for his beloved editor. Today's 'act' was to be one of his most brilliantly planned performances. Guaranteed to keep her in his house till at least dinner time.

He had deliberately not shaved for the past few days, much to Tohru and Yuki's amazement and Kyo's amusement. And as soon as his housemates had left the house earlier that day for school, he had artistically scattered empty beer bottles around. Well, scattered was actually an understatement. He had closed his eyes and moved around the house, depositing beer bottles that he had collected for the past month.

His face turned serious as he dramatically collapsed on a cushion. And he practised his lines.

"I'm sorry Mii-chan! This time I'm serious. I'm quitting! I can't go on!" He stopped abruptly and propped himself up on his elbows. "Yosh!" he grinned.

His perverted mind flew quickly to things that his editor might do when faced with this situation. His grin widened further when his thoughts flew to things that were not appropriate for a PG-13 audience. He could imagine her desperate cries and begging. Just how far would she go? 

His own mind chided him. Mii-chan was not that kind of girl. She'd probably slap him if he tried anything.

He smiled ruefully to himself. He knew that as far as Akito was concerned, he was playing with fire. One that was unpredictable and dangerous. But just to spend a few hours with Mii-chan, a few precious hours… Everything would be worth it.

His lips turned down slowly at the thought of his clan head. His lips thinned into a straight line. He had sold his soul to the devil to keep Mii-chan around him and he was sure, one day… One day, she'd remember.

*

"Tadaima!" a melodious voice wafted in, startling Shigure awake.

"Huh?" he sleepily rubbed his eyes. A bird popped out of the cuckoo clock and chirped eight times.

"Shigure-san!" Tohru rushed to the writer's side and immediately checked his temperature. "Are you okay? Why are you sleeping here? Are you sick? Would you like me to make you some soup? Is there anything else I can do? Ah, would you like a drink? Tea? Anything???" Tohru was looking at him with worried eyes, he couldn't help but burst into laughter. A hand crashed down on his head to shut him up.

"Behave you old pervert. Honda-san was trying to be nice."

"Maa, you're so violent Yuki-kun!"

"Don't worry Honda-san, the dog just fell asleep." Yuki patted her shoulders in reassurance.

"That's good then. I was worried, because the house was dark and there were bottles everywhere!"

"Ah, that… Gomene! I'll pick them up later!… Wait, did you two just get home?" a confirming nod came from both. "And where did you get to so late?" he winked suggestively to Tohru, causing her to blush. "Is there something I should know about here?" 

"No Shigure-san! You misunderstand! We… I… Sohma-kun and Kyo-kun…" A slight panicky look settled on her face making it comically dismayed. Yuki once more patted her shoulders comfortingly.

"Calm down Honda-san. He's just being his usual stupid self." 

"Aa… Hai! I see! I take it Shigure-san has not had dinner yet? I'll go make some right away, is that okay?" Shigure nodded, his eyes shinning brightly at the thought of one of Tohru's home cooked meals.

"Idiot." Yuki said monotonously and started to get out when Shigure coughed. He stopped in his tracks.  
"Ano… Where's Kyo?"

"He met Haru along the way. I think they're still fighting outside." The mouse gestured to the garden vaguely. This time he moved and didn't look back.

Shigure sighed. He wondered if his doors would stay intact tonight. With Haru probably staying over and everything… He seriously doubted it.

Before long, he heard light footsteps follow angry ones. 

"You two had fun on your date?" he couldn't help but tease them. Haru would shrug it off, while the baka neko… Well, anything that questions his masculinity would be met with hostile blows. And sure enough…

"BAKA!"

"Owww… Kyo is so violent!" He rubbed his head and faked a hurt expression on his face.

"Shigure, you are starting to sound like Momiji." Haru sat down in front of him and calmly poured himself a cup of tea. 

"And what brings you around to my humble abode, cousin?" Shigure was always amused by the calm cow who took his time doing everything. Including pouring a cup of tea. The movements his cousin made seemed to mimic the water itself, flowing and peaceful.

"I saw an accident today." he started slowly. "By the corner near Playground… You know, that shop that opened recently."

"Ah, was anyone hurt?"

"No, not by the accident at least. But the woman involved got taken to a hospital."

"The one nearby?"

"Yes."

"Oh."

"The woman seemed familiar. Like your editor."

He had started getting sleepy hearing the monotonous tone the other used, but at the last sentence he jerked awake. He tried to get up slowly, which only made his movements seem somewhat jerky and unnatural.

"I think I'd better go and see her."

Abandoning all pretences of being calm, he rushed upstairs to change quickly into a pair of pants.

"Where's Shigure rushing of to?" Yuki asked as he sat down, only moments before, his dog cousin had pushed past him.

"The hospital." Answered Haru

"I anyone hurt?"

"No. Not really. But I never got the chance to tell him that."

"Oh."

"Should we follow him?"

"No. It will give him a lesson not to rush of and do something stupid before hearing what someone has to say to the end."

The two then proceeded to sip their tea in silence as they waited for their dinner, which judging by the smell of things, would come soon.

*

Shigure walked briskly, ignoring the chilling wind that hit his face. His worry for his Mii-chan overcame every single nerve in his body, he managed to reach the hospital in record time.

He was about to ask the nurse what room Mii-chan was in when he noticed the sign that notified visitors of visiting hours. He had missed it by an hour. Furiously he kicked himself.

If he wasn't so worried and angry, he might have thought about turning on his charm taps full blast and flirt his way in. Or calling Hatori and getting him to pull a few strings. But right now, he couldn't even think about where he was going next.

He rushed back out and stood in the freezing cold, looking up to the windows of the hospital. In one of those windows was a woman he loved. The only person who had the power to reduce him to a mess. 

He leaned against the wall near the doorway.

If he wasn't getting in at this time of night. Then he'd wait till the morning came.

TBC…

Author's Notes; I am so very very sorry for the long wait! I got really distracted and managed to abandon this! I promise I will not do that anymore and try to write a lot more, so hopefully the pause between updates wont be this long.  
And I'm also really sorry for the short chapter, no excusses there. Longer ones _will _arive soon!

And THANK YOUUUUUU!!! Thank you thank you thank you to my lovely reviewers! 

Ssjgoddesschico, kireina, Lady of the Ink, jill4, NIGHTSCREAM, BishounenChaser, frozen tears, Hatsuharu Souma; I'm glad you guys liked it!


	3. The Catalyst

Author's notes at the end =)

****

Chapter 3; The Catalyst 

Shigure hardly noticed the changing hues in the sky, all he could see was a woman with short hair, laughing with him… or in most cases… _at_ him. He wondered how badly hurt she was, was it critical? Or was it like all those years ago when they had first met.

His mind flew back to an incident way back when he received a car from his parents for his twenty-first birthday.

*

"Isn't it _fun_ to have parents who don't acknowledge your existence!" Shigure exclaimed as he admired the new car in front of him.

"Especially when they give you an expensive present once in a while to quieten their guilty conscience!" Ayame flung his arms around the older Jyunishii enthusiastically.

"Ayame, shouldn't you be somewhere else right now?" came a calm voice to disturb the duo's cries of joy.

"Oh damn. That's right. Akito is making me check up on Yuki. Something about the kid having an asthma attack or something." Ayame made a face.

"You know, it wouldn't kill you to be nicer to your own sibling." Hatori frowned, they had this conversation everytime the subject of Yuki was brought up. And much to Hatori's dismay, it was the only subject where the snake never listened to him.

"You might regret this one day." Shigure said solemnly. "Us dogs are known for our 'seeing' abilities." 

"I thought it was your sense of smell." 

"Eh." Shigure shrugged. "They're both part of your senses. Can you blame me if I get confused sometimes?"

"I'd better go. Akito might get angry if I don't show up soon."

The two waved to Ayame who dramatically flipped his long silver hair and walked back to the main house.

"Shall we?"

"Dear God. Will I live after this?"

"We're only going for a short drive Hari!"

"To the nearest hospital most probably."

"Have you no confidence in me?"

"No. Not really."

His suspicions were confirmed as soon as Shigure turned the car on. 

"The _clutch _Shigure. No! Don't do… Shigure!!!" he tried to sound calm but ended his speech with a little squeak as the car sped off.

"Relax!"

"How can I relax? Watch out for that tree!!!"

"We're only in the Sohma Woods, Hatori. Calm down."

"Just slow down!"

Meanwhile, a young woman looked at the address written down on the piece of paper hesitantly. The people pointed her in this direction but… All she saw was an endless row of trees. Her new charge's house seem to be in the middle of no where. She shrugged her bag closer to her body and looked ahead. Sohma Shigure… She wondered what kind of writer he was. Because from today… She was his newly appointed editor.

She looked around carefully. Was it her imagination or was that a screech of brakes she heard??

Shigure laughed as he saw his best friend pale even more. 

"Shigure… Please…"

"Okay, okay." He hit the brakes suddenly, causing the car to lurch and began to move again in a slower pace.

"Better. Much better."

"Good. You should trust me more. You know that I only did that to scare you didn't you?"

"Really?"

"Oh come on! I've been driving since I was fifteen!"

"Illegally."

"But I _can _drive."

"I'll admit it if you don't get arrested in the streets."

Their attentions were distracted as they looked at each other. Shigure laughed aloud and Hatori spared him a smile. 

He was thankful for even that small show of emotion. After a few years ago when Hatori had to erase the memory of Yuki's friends he had been even more withdrawn. 

As good as all that was… they managed to not notice the figure in a soft pink coat.

"Shit! Shigure!"

Shigure swore under his breath as he swerved to the right. A high pitched scream filled the air.

The black seemed to engulf her, making her question where she was. She tried opening her eyes to find one handsome face very close to hers.

"Waa!!" she managed to shriek before coughing violently. Her throat was very dry. Must have been all the screaming from terror thing.

"Hey Hatori! She's awake! Oh look. She's coughing really badly. Get her some water! Quick!" Shigure gestured to is cousin who was just coming in from the kitchen. He received a quick slap on his head.

"Hey, the whole thing is your fault. Try helping instead of scaring her. Here, try to drink this slowly." 

"Can you manage on your own? I can help you if you want. Mouth to mouth if necessary!"

"Helping. Not flirting."

"Was not flirting!" the one with longer hair exclaimed indignantly.

"Ano… Where am I? What happened?"

"Oh no! She has amnesia! We'll have to take care of her forever and ever and ever!" an evil gleam entered Shigure's eyes. "You're my secret mistress and we were just about to elope to a beautiful…"

"Ignore him. You fainted because of this idiot almost crashing into you." The idiot mentioned continued to babble on about secret paradises for forbidden lovers.

"Oh! I'm so sorry for troubling you!" the small woman in front of him blushed ten shades of scarlet as the doctor checked her pulse.

"It's okay. It was his fault anyway." He calmly replaced her hands in her lap and hit Shigure's head in hopes that his best friend will shut up. It didn't even slow down the writer as he continued to describe lush green fields and meadows of Tulips dancing in the wind.

"He's been going on about the castle for a long time… He should be a writer or something." She commented. She didn't think that the young man was Sohma Shigure who wrote serious novels, but maybe she could persuade the young man to write cute shoujo romance novels! He seemed to speak the language fluently.

"He is. Ah, we haven't introduced ourselves. I'm Sohma Hatori." The woman looked up with a start at the offered hand. She shook it softly. Then that must mean…

"Ah! Nice to meet you Sohma-san! And he must be Sohma Shigure!" she took a wild guess.

"How did you know? Oooh! Can you read minds?" Her heart drooped. 

"Aa… I am Kirisawa Minami! I'm your new editor."

*

After Mii-chan had gone home he had given Hatori his car keys with shaking hands. Asking his best friend to never ever let him drive again. As a person with a vivid imagination, Shigure had imagined a very blood scene which could have occurred had he not swerved in the last minute.

Hatori was only too pleased to oblige him.

"Sir, excuse me sir… I'm afraid you can't sleep here. This is the entrance of the hospital. If you need a place to stay there's a government funded hostel nearby." A young looking man in his mid twenties tapped Shigure's stooping shoulders. He was bewildered for a few moments before a light bulb clicked in his head.

"What? Oh no. You misunderstand! I'm waiting for visiting hours to start again. My friend had an accident and I wanted to see how she is doing."

"I'm very sorry to hear that. I… I'm a doctor here, if you want… I can look in on how the patient is doing and tell you." The doctor felt very sorry for the man who looked as if he could drop dead from exhaustion any minute.

"That would be great. Thanks."

"What's here name?"

"Minami Kirisawa." He mumbled the name under his breath so that he'd remember it. "I'll be right back."

Minutes passed by. Shigure felt that all the waiting he had done in the past day filled his whole life. He hated waiting, always had, always will. Now he remembered why.

"I'm sorry, you must have received the wrong information. The receptionist's data says that a Minami Kirisawa was indeed admitted in at five to six yesterday afternoon, but she was immediately discharged. Her injuries were not serious."

He felt as if a huge stone that weighed on his back fell off. But he was really confused. What sort of injuries did she suffer? But he noticed the doctor's impatient looks.

"Ah… Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Shigure walked away with shaking steps. He was going to _kill _Haru when he next saw the kid. He made Shigure dash of in the night… in the _cold_ night and wait until the hospital admitted visitors again!

But then again… he _did _rush off before Haru could explain anything.

He blamed every rash action he made on his doggy self. His normal human self was calm and collected, thank you very much.

At least he tried to convince himself of the fact every now and again.

He _really _didn't feel like walking right now. 

Shigure walked up to a public telephone booth and dialled a number. He knew that the person he was calling was the only one who would be awake at this time of… morning? It was barely so, but the dragon of the Jyunishii seemed to love _really really_ early mornings.

"Yo. Hatori. Can you pick me up?"

"Don't tell me… you're in jail."

"Do you think I'm _that_ stupid?"

"Honestly?… Yes."

"Ha ha. Seriously though. I'm near a hospital right now."

"The usual one?"

"Yep."

"What happened."

"Oops. My coins are running out. If you come… I'll tell you." Shigure put the handle of phone back in it's place. 

"Wait… Shigure?… Shigure!"

Hatori frowned at the phone. What was that idiotic dog planning now? 

On the other side of town Shigure laughed weakly. A huge weight had been lifted of his shoulders. He suddenly felt all his energy leak out and collapsed near the phone.

TBC…

Author's Notes; There now, the wait for it wasn't that long I hope! Thanks to my reviewers; Kireina, Lady of the Ink, Ssjgoddesschico and Tai… I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint!


End file.
